The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-12-25

shape of extensive agate fields Agates
AID chalcedony are found 10 many por-
tons o. the Cnited States, but never Of
such enormous size and beauty as in
these &c Is, which have been located
upon by citizens of our Territory, and
will he extensively worked in cUnIec-
lion with Philadelphia parties. Here
are found bouldeTs of most beautiful
water agate ~ large as i've feet in diam
eJeT, without laws and of delicate tlnts.
iArOughOut these immense gems are
por. ons Of caFneiian, one piece of which
rss breIi cat out five inches IN diameter
The carHeiIan spots, however, vary IN
size and opacity, and, III some specl-
mems, where the chalcedOny is green,
the sp0ts are Of Jasper red, forming
bookstores of great beauty. That
ag4tes of such SIZE aud quality are 10 be
found in abundance mas excited no
sn1ait degree Of interest, and thousands
of acres of these fields have been taken
Ue under the placer .ect, while plans are
being formed for the establishment of
works to cut up and polish the stones
uFnny of which are large enough to fur
nl>h slabs fol liable tops, mantel-pleces,
ctr.
A natural product for which Utah is
famous Is salt and large quantities are
exported for use IN silver mines III
Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, and o.
t-ad0, in addition to What Is required at
home. 4 great deal of rock salt fer
stock is mined IN SSnpete aud Sewer
valleys. but bv lar the gr,a-er quantity
Of salt shipped is manufactured from
the waters of he Great SAT- Lake II
will easily be believed that the supply Is
ample for all time 10 come, It beng es-
slnated that the waters Of the lake
alone, evHporated, would yield 49,
900, J0D 90 cubic feet of solid salt.
About Is per cent of the la is solid
matter, and of this about 80 per cent. Is
pure cniorlde of sodium, the remainder
beng chiefly suiphate of soda with g
little chloride of magnesium. By i'm
Z proved processes adapted for eVapora-
tian, however, the manufactured article
Is from 95 to SO per cent. pure.
At certain low degrees of tempera-
t2lye, the Great Salt Lake yields up vast
quantities Of sWlphate of soda, which
| the wind blows to the shores, where
hundreds of tens are som etimes piled
a} in q single night. The Salt Lake
/ Chemical Works are now starting up
| their plant Intended to convert this
hitherto undeveloped resource into
soda-a>h, sal-soda, carbonate Of soda,
etc.
In,the matter of building stone, Utah
| IS to be envisd. " Within her bound
zgriess she contains an ineZhaustible store
of handsome hmeetones, marbles,
graU.aes, magnesium limestones, most OF
which are along the lines Of the railroads
and easy Of access. Large quantities Of
our sandston8s are being shipped T. the
Eas!. and have no doubt our marbles
Viii follow as soon as the quarrIes are
opened up
A very superior quality of roofing
slate is found on An eiope island, one OF
the islands OF Grea< Salt Lake. 1t lie
gray. green, and purple, and experts
SAY It Is not r"sSsed IL quality by any
Fin America. The different Yariet es af-
ford material for any purpose to which
slate Is usually put
A supply Of fre-clay exists in Bing-
ham canyon, which has been drawn
upon by Salt Lake parties, to make al
the fire. brick used in this region, and
considerable kas been exported, Further
supplies are 10 be found throughout the
WasatCh mountains, where it underlies
the sab carbo1iferOus limestOnes.
In Emigration canyon, Fear this city,
and Othe- places not far distant, carbon
ate Of soda exists as IN efBoresceCce on
the soil.
at several points in the Cottonwood
canyons good qualities of asbestos ar
found, much of it being exceedingly
flexible and of slender fiber. A similar
deposit is reported near Milford, in
Beaver county.
A vein of cOpperss is also known. IT
is located in Spanish Fork canvon, al d
is six 90 eight inches in thickness. ..